Kissed by the Baddest Bidder - Ota Kisaki and Eisuke Ichinomiya
by AmberFoxOfChaos
Summary: Anyone who has played the game "Kissed by the Baddest Bidder" will understand, but if not, it's worth a read, might even make you want to get the game Rated M for future scenes. The story now consists of Ota's route, Eisuke's, and Baba's is coming soon
1. Episode 1

**Episode One**

"O-Ota..."  
I close my eyes as he runs his fingers through my hair, his voice as soft as velvet in my ear.  
"Yes Koro?"  
A shy smile crosses my lips, and I'm about to speak again when Eisuke walks in, a smirk appearing on his face when he sees us. Ota's soft demeanour changes to a more serious one, and he quickly finishes fixing up my hair, before getting up and walking over to the man.  
"Do you need me for something?"  
Ever the angel, he keeps his innocent smile on even for Eisuke and the others.  
"Just wondered if you'd be interested in this."  
Eisuke replies, as he passes a bunch of what look like tickets, to Ota. After a small pause, Eisuke smirks at me again, and then walks away, and Ota begins flicking through the tickets.  
"What are they?"  
I call to him, noticing the scowl with regret as he looks up.  
"Nothing to do with you. Pets don't get to ask questions."  
I sigh in defeat. So nothing changes, I'm still a pet in his eyes. Not that I'm complaining, Ota never does anything sexual to me, and guarantee I would have been abused by the other man in the auction, but it still hurts a little. Seeing the flicker of sadness in my eyes, he sits in front of me on the couch again, and pets my head, lightly, as not to mess up my hair.

"They're counterfeit. It's worth nothing anyway."  
He states, brushing a lock of his hair out of his eyes with his fingers, before discarding the tickets into the bin.  
"Ota..."  
I try again, seeing as we're alone, and that scowl has faded.  
"I..."  
He cuts over me with a teasing smile.  
"Want to go for walkies?"  
I cry out in frustration, causing him to look up, slightly stunned.  
"Kyaah! I don't want to be your pet anymore!"  
The surprise turns to hurt, and the hurt turns to anger. The teasing smile returns, but his eyes are dark, and unreadable.  
"Well then."  
He says quietly, grabbing my wrist and pulling me to my feet. I try to tug against him as he starts walking towards his room, but he's too strong.  
"O-Ota!"  
I whimper, starting to panic as we go inside his room and he sits on the bed, pulling me down with him.

"Pets need to know their place, Koro." He whispers in my ear before giving my earlobe a gentle nip, his fingers trailing down my sides before moving up to unbutton my blouse. His eyes are still angry when I dare to look up at him, the honey irises glittering with lust as he tugs my blouse from my shoulders, quickly removing his own clothes, then the rest of mine. My fear starts to melt away as his toned chest comes into view, then the buckle of his belt lightly touches my knee as he crouches over me, looking down with a certain sadness in his eyes.

"You've upset your Master, Koro." He says quietly, his eyes searching mine, and my heart tightens with guilt. A lock of his hair falls over his eyes, and unthinking, I reach out to brush it away. "I... I'm sorry." I reply sadly, then gasp as he grabs my wrist, pinning it to my side. "You are mine, Tasha. I don't want you to leave. I don't want you to wag your tail for anyone else."

He kisses me softly on the lips, and I feel shock wash over me. He used my name. For the first time ever, even though it's taken four months, he finally used my name.  
The sadness within his eyes fades, and that naughty teasing smile returns as he leans down and nuzzles my neck, my heart beating frantically in my chest as he kisses me again, using his tongue to part my lips, sliding his tongue along mine, caressing it softly. I close my eyes, starting to relax again, and his fingers move down my thigh, between my legs, his thumb lightly brushes against my sensitive place, and I let out a soft gasp.

"From now on Koro..."  
Ota breathes in my ear, his breath tickling my cheek as he traces his finger in circles on my skin, teasing me.  
"You'll call me Master."  
I blush deeply, pink flooding my complexion, and I'm about to object, when he slides just his fingertip inside me, eliciting a soft moan from my parted lips.  
"Do you understand?"  
My soft brown eyes meet his liquid amber ones, and he stares back at me unsmiling, as I manage to whisper.  
"Y-yes."  
He smiles, retracting his fingertip from me, returning to tracing circles.  
"Yes, what?"  
He asks, his gaze penetrating me,  
"Y-yes M-Master."  
His light smiles returns as he praises me.  
"Good girl."  
Then he pushes that finger back inside me, as deep as it can go, as slowly as he can, drawing out the sensation for as long as possible before stopping.

"Ready, Koro?"

**To be continued...**

**(A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. As you can see, it doesn't follow the storyline of the game, but I'm willing to take requests on how it continues ^^)**


	2. Episode 2

****Episode Two****

I close my eyes tightly, even Ota's soft velvet voice in my ear doing little to soothe me. Then I hear a door creak open.  
"Aw man! Why did no-one invite me to the party?"  
A familiar voice causes Ota to scowl, and he pulls his finger away, growling softly before replacing his anger with the trademark angel smile, turning away from me.  
"What do you want Baba?"  
He asks softly, one hand still firmly keeping me pinned. Baba looks straight past him, and winks at me.  
"Hey pretty lady. Is Ota being mean to you?"  
I blush a deep crimson, then quickly yank the sheets up to cover myself. Ota seems to be cussing under his breath about a broken lock, and I can feel Baba trying to undress me with his eyes.

"I-I'm fine."  
I say shakily, and Ota's grip on my wrist tightens under the covers.  
"P-please leave, Baba."  
He pouts playfully, grinning at me.  
"But I just got here!"  
He protests. Ota pulls a gown from the wardrobe and dresses, standing up, finally releasing me.  
"I think Eisuke wanted to talk to you about something anyway."  
I can hear the anger in his voice threatening to break through, but he hides it well. Baba nods once, and touches the brim of his hat.  
"Until next time, pretty lady."  
He smiles, and leaves.  
I turn to Ota, reaching to take his hand as I go to stand up too, but then blush deeply, realising I'm still very naked. Ota tosses me a gown without even looking in my direction, and I pull it on, then get up slowly, watching him walk into the other room and settle on the couch.  
"Are you okay Ota?"  
I ask cautiously, settling at his feet.  
"Koro."  
He says sternly. I quickly rephrase my question, growing irritated with the fact I have to keep calling him that.

"Are you okay Master?"  
He looks down at me, scowling.  
"You were wagging your tail for someone else."  
I look shocked, his golden eyes iced.  
"I was not!"  
I protest, praying for anything to change his mind, for him to give me that angelic smile, however fake. But he's closed off from me now.  
"Stay."  
Ota orders, getting up to go back into the bedroom. He emerges moments later, dressed, and still scowling. Without a glance in my direction, he heads for the door.  
"Where are you going?"  
My voice is too high, and I sound panicked, but I don't care.  
"My studio."  
He responds in monotone.  
"Don't follow."  
Then he's gone, and I'm left alone, on the floor, with my head in my hands, wondering how it all went so wrong.  
I want to go after him, but rule one stops me. Always obey your Master, and my Master told me to stay. The door opens again about ten minutes later, and I look up.  
"Ota?!"  
The figure smiles, removing his hat.

"Hey pretty lady."

****To be continued...****


	3. Episode 3

****Episode three****

"Baba?"  
I stand up, pulling the cord of my gown closed, and look at him uneasily.  
"Ota's not here."  
I tell him, and his smile widens.  
"I know, I saw him storm out. He should treat a lady with more respect."  
Baba settles on the couch in Ota's place, and I don't exactly know what to do, so I just stand near the couch awkwardly.  
"So what are you doing here?"  
I ask, worried that Ota will return and get the wrong idea.  
"I came to see if you were okay. Did you two break up?"  
Baba's smile seems out of place considering his question, but maybe I shouldn't be too worried, as, even for a thief, he is quite gentlemanly.

"No... I...I don't know. He seemed to think that..."  
Baba smiles gently, motioning for me to sit beside him, but I politely and silently refuse.  
"He thinks that?"  
He presses, and then realises and winks at me for the second time today.  
"Oh, I see. Thinks we have something going on, hm?"  
I nod, a blush of crimson staining my cheeks.  
"Well, I must say I'm honoured."  
I look at him in shock.  
"But we have to tell him he's wrong!"  
A smile plays on Baba's lips, his eyes sparkling as he looks me up and down, seeing through the gown, making me shiver, but with something other than disgust. Fear perhaps.  
"You know Ota will never admit that he's wrong."  
I nod, knowing he's right, but I can't bear to let my Master think I betrayed him.

The door opens again, and we both look up to see The King walk in.  
"Hello Eisuke."  
I say calmly, not wanting to risk ignoring him. This time though, he ignores me, speaking directly to Baba. "Has the loyal doggy finally got herself a new Master?"  
Baba shakes his head, almost regretfully.  
"Ota has left her, thinking she has something going with me."  
"You wish."  
Another voice cut in, and I looked up once more, trying to mask my horror at the amount of men appearing in Ota's room.  
"Detective Kishi! Could you help me find Ota?"  
He puffs silently on his cigarette, and looks thoughtful.  
"The kid shouldn't be found, in my opinion. He'll return in his own time, in the meantime..."  
A final voice joins the buzz of the room as the leader of the Ice Dragons joins us.  
"He obviously doesn't care about her that much if he's left her alone."  
Soryu's voice is the coolest, and he sounds the most amused.  
"So..."  
Eisuke adds, with a wicked smile, "Seeing as I bought her originally, her ownership temporarily passes to me."

I stared at him in sheer, unmasked horror.  
"B-but..."  
Eisuke glares at me, his eyes filled with lust.  
"No-one gave you permission to speak. So don't."  
Baba sees me start to crumble, and starts to protest on my behalf, as the men encircle me, closing in.  
"Guys? Have a little respect for her."  
Eisuke rolls his eyes, his tone iced.  
"If you're going to be difficult then get back to work."  
Baba nods, picking up his hat, and gratefully leaves, mouthing 'I'm sorry' to me, over his shoulder, before the door closes.

Panic sets in, and I try to run, being caught by Soryu's strong arms as he pushes me back, unsmiling.  
"Going somewhere?"  
I whimper, feeling the cord cut into me a little as it's ripped away, and the gown is slowly opened, then discarded.  
"No wonder Ota wanted to keep this for himself."  
The comment makes me blush deeply with humiliation, and I close my eyes tightly, feeling rough hands grabbing and groping me. Thinking about it, I could have chosen a lot worse than Ota. I don't want to wag my tail for any of these men!  
"P-please...n-no..."  
My cries fall on deaf ears as I'm suddenly pinned with my back to someone's body, Eisuke stands in front of me, looking into my petrified eyes with sick amusement.  
"Once a pet, always a pet."  
He grins, and I can't bear to look, but I can feel him pressing against me, I know my chance of escape has gone.

Suddenly, he grabs my hips, and snarls in my ear.  
"You should have chosen me."  
I fight back tears, wondering if my story would have still ended this way if I had. Would Ota have still been the angelic artist to me, if he didn't own me? I'd seen under that facade of a smile, that counted for something, surely? He was most likely sketching in his studio, tossing pages to the ground in frustration as his mind was clouded with sadness. Or maybe he'd just been using me, and didn't care at all.

I look Eisuke, and Soryu dead in the eyes with bitter hatred, feeling my world start to spin as I try to comprehend what's about to happen. I raise my fists, aiming to punch Eisuke, stun him just long enough to run, but strong hands quickly pin my wrists behind my back. Anger fills his eyes, and he slaps me hard, across the face.

"You're going to regret that, pet."

****To be continued...****


	4. Episode 4

****Episode four****

The sound of wood splintering as the door collides with the wall, causing an ear-splitting crack as it ricochettes off its hinges, causes the three men to look up. A voice laced with anger and saturated with bitter loathing fills the room, every word spat with venom.  
"GET YOUR FUCKING FILTHY HANDS OFF HER!"  
I look across to see burning golden eyes, tinged with panic, soft locks of windswept hair falling over them, his pale skin flushed with regretful pink. The men are so used to his calm demeanour, that seeing the angelic artist's fury has made them step back. "O-Ota..."

I breathe his name in disbelief, relief washing over me like a bath of ice on my wounded spirit. Soothing my wounds, filling the empty void that swirls deep in my heart, taking all my fears away, and replacing them with hope.  
"Tasha, are you okay?"  
Ota makes his way over to me, pulling me tightly against his chest, nuzzling my neck, and whispers,  
"I'm so sorry Tasha... I should never have left you alone."  
I close my eyes, breathing in his scent, the warmth of his skin, his body against mine, thawing my heart which was frozen by the cruelty of the men who I thought I could trust. Before I realise it, tears are cascading down my rose cheeks, and Ota notices with a soft sigh, and kisses my sadness away, his hand stroking my hair.  
"Come on Tasha, we're leaving."

Baba runs into the room, panting softly. "Ota, wait!" He looks around, first at the men that are standing awkwardly in the corner, then at Ota and me. Ota removes his jacket, draping it over my shoulders, shooting Baba a pointed look. When he realises that nothing bad has happened, he seems to relax, and then the sadness sets in.

"How will we know what's counterfeit and what's not?" He asks, a dry attempt at honour, as he doesn't wish to admit that he'll miss his friend. Ota shrugs, "Find someone else."  
Eisuke finally speaks up, his voice low and dark. "She legally belongs to me." He reminds Ota quietly. "There's no legality about the auctions!" Baba exclaims, and Ota nods silently. "It's legitimate so long as the police are in on it." Eisuke looks to Kishi, and he smirks. "Correct."  
Ota closes his jacket, covering my chest, then he picks me up, keeping my body hidden against his chest, and behind his strong arms.

As he heads for the door, he announces, "I'll tell the world about the auctions and have them shut down!" Soryu blocks the door, pulling a gun from his pocket. Baba looks shocked and hides behind Ota, and Ota clutches me tighter to his chest. Soryu's eyes are dark as he cocks the gun, aiming it at Ota's head.

"You're not leaving this room alive, so I suggest you reconsider."

****To be continued...****

**(A/N: This is a shorter chapter, but the next one will be much longer, hope you're enjoying it so far :3)**


	5. Episode 5

*Episode Five**

Ota put me down, giving me a gentle push towards the bedroom.  
"Go and get dressed Tasha."  
I head towards the door, but Detective Kishi blocks my path.  
"The pet, stays with us."  
Ota's eyes widen, and he growls softly. 'That's not fair!"  
"Life isn't fair, kid."  
I lower my eyes to the ground, thankful that at least my top half is covered, and step back a little.  
"Ota, there's some documents that Baba put into your room."  
We look over at Baba, and he opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it again, knowing that nothing he can say will help. Even Ota knows that this is a trap, but he has no choice.

He goes towards his room, and Detective Kishi steps aside and as he goes into the room, the detective closes the door, and jams his gun under the handle. I watch as the handle shakes, Ota trapped helplessly on the other side. He doesn't bother to protest, starting with "You dare..." And then he stops, because no matter what he says, my fate is sealed. It's inevitable.

"Guys... Could we give Tasha a break? It's obvious that her and Ota have passion. The protective streak in him, it's love. LOVE." Baba gives me a hopeful smile.  
Detective Kishi rolls his eyes, and smirks.  
"Ota is a kid who needs to learn he can't always have his own way."  
Baba's smile fades, and he sighs, having developed sympathetic feelings for the girl himself.  
"Eisuke, I need to talk to you. Alone. It's about things that Ta...the girl, doesn't know." He nods knowingly, and walks out of the room, and Baba follows. A few moments later, Eisuke returns, and walks over to me, pulling me over to him.

"The girl is mine. I bought her, it's on paper, as we established earlier. Anyone who wishes to argue with that..."  
He pushes the door open, indicating Baba, with a sweep of his hands, unconscious, his head bowed, his face cloaked in shadow. My heart sinks, he was my last chance. "Soryu, go downstairs and take Mamo with you, you have a client to deal with, wear your masks, he's new."  
They both nod, and head downstairs. Eisuke keeps his grip on me, walking over to Ota's bedroom, and pulls the gun out from under the door. Ota surfaces, looking wary, and steps back as we go inside, and Eisuke closes the door.

He stares at us both, and me and Ota look back at him. I cuddle close to Ota, and he strokes my hair, soothing me. "What's up pretty lady?" Eisuke asks, and Ota breathes a huge sigh of relief, as 'Eisuke' removes his disguise.  
"Baba!" I exclaim, leaping up to hug him, before remembering Ota's earlier accusation, which stops me in my tracks. As it happens, Baba is the one who cuddles me. I blush lightly and move away, and Ota pulls me onto the bed with him. A realisation hits me, and I pipe up, "So the unconscious one was Eisuke?" I ask. Baba facepalms. "Of course." Ota begins listening intently. "You knocked Eisuke unconscious?!" He exclaims, then he composes himself, and his angelic smile returns. "Thank you." Baba nods modestly, "No problem. Now, we need to get out of here before he regains consciousness, or they suss me out." We get up, and I cautiously peek out of the door. "All clear." We leave the room, and make our way to the door of Ota's apartment. When we open it, we see the real Eisuke lying in wait, with Soryu and Detective Kishi at either side.  
"You three have got some explaining to do... From beyond the grave!"  
Soryu aims his gun at Baba this time, and Baba grins, grabbing my hand as I grab Ota's.  
"Tasha..."  
"Baba?"

"Run!"

**To be continued...**


	6. Episode 6

****Episode Six****

A few days later when the chaos has died down, Ota, Baba, and myself, are in a hotel room, nowhere near as fancy as the ones at Tres Spades, but we're hiding, not living the life of luxury. As we venture out of the doors to look for anything but trouble, we walk straight into Kuboyama, the reporter that wouldn't leave Ota alone. He scowls at us, and then smiles as he realises who we are. "Mr Kisaki, what are you doing here? Hiding from another scandal, hm?" He smirks, taking the red pen from behind his ear that he always seems to have, and prepares to make notes. I'm about to step in, when Baba winks at me, and Ota gently squeezes my hand. "Actually, you're just the man I was looking for." He tells Kuboyama, who presses his pen to his paper, and grins. "Do you have time for an interview?" He asks, that cocky, sharp smile on his face, as always. Ota shakes his head, "Soon, but it's not about me. Give me a minute."

He turns to us, and his angelic smile appears, as he shields his words from the reporter, speaking quietly. "If we tell him about the auctions, he'll spread the news like wildfire, he'll shut them down, or get killed trying. Either way, he's out of the way, and Mamo, Soryu and Eisuke will have their hands full dealing with him. Which means they're off our backs for a while." Baba's eyes light up, and he grins, his fingers brushing lightly against mine as he steps back to let Ota speak. I feel a tiny shock of electricity, and I close my hand, blushing. Ota addresses Kuboyama with his trademark smile, the calm and relaxed demeanour of an angel.

"We have reason to believe that illegal auctions are being held in the Penthouse of the hotel, Tres Spades." Ota declares, his smile fading to a grave expression, "Some of my paintings were auctioned off there without my permission, and we found out about them by tracing the paintings back to their seller's origin. My-" He indicates Baba, who quickly cuts over him, "Mitsunari Baba, manager of Ota Kisaki, nice to meet you." His smile is mischevious, and his eyes reflect something that Kuboyama doesn't detect. Perhaps the want to grab him by his blue striped tie and choke him with it. Ota subtly rolls his eyes at the statement, which again is missed, as the reporter is busy writing. "My manager..." He continues, and I try not to smile at the irony in his voice, "Told me about the auctions, which seem to be being run by Mamoru Kishi, Eisuke Ichinomiya, and Soryu Oh."

The reporter continues writing at speed, a big grin on his face, and then returns the red pen to behind his ear, and puts his notepad at his side for a moment. "Are there specific times that these auctions happen? What do they sell there?" He fires questions at Ota, who calmly answers them. While the interview continues, I begin a much quieter conversation with Baba. "Can I ask you something?" I ask politely, and he smiles. "Fire away, pretty lady." I nod, realising a crimson blush is flooding my cheeks again. "Why did you go for the role of Ota's mananger?" I tilt my head, watching as he considers this. "It was the role I took on at the art exhibition before, makes my story more believable."

The art exhibition, where Rin took Ota's red bird idea and stole it, only to find out that his was a bluebird in the darkness when light shone on the stones he crushed into the paint. I wish I'd got to see the painting myself, but I'm sure I recall that he called me his bluebird once, when he thought I was sleeping. Perhaps I wasn't a pet to him as much as I'd previously believed. The day that he called me an important person, and later changed it to pet, and was even crying fake tears. If he hadn't saved me from the gang, I would still believe that I was nothing more than a toy to amuse him. But a lot has changed since then.

I nod, understanding now, and Baba gives me a cheeky grin. "Besides, who wouldn't want to be the manager of the 'Angelic artist'?" He stops speaking as Ota comes over, and Kuboyama puts away his notepad. "That information will be very valuable, Mr Kisaki." The reporter smirks, and then walks off without so much as a thank you. Ota pecks me softly on the lips, and then smiles at Baba as if to say, 'Don't even think about it.' Baba simply grins, and we walk back across town, past Ota's art gallery, until we reach the hotel.

Ota pulls me back by my hand as we approach, seeing a large crowd of people, and flashbulbs going off. My manager is stood at the door, his hands raised as he tries to calm the crowd, and Eisuke is by his side. "As Mr Ichinomiya has said, if there was any illegal activity in Tres Spades, he'd know about it." It makes me giggle as I see Kuboyama push through the crowd, and point accusingly at him. "Mr Ichinomiya is part of it!"

All eyes fall on The King as he defends himself, dismissing their questions and remarks. He mutters something into his jacket lapel, and a few moments later, Kuboyama falls to the ground, a bullet wound in his skull. The crowd that have gathered start screaming, and everyone seems to flee the area as panic rises in the crowd. "Just as planned..." Ota murmurs, before watching the crowd return, screaming at Eisuke. "You shot him! There is something going on here!" More reporters start buzzing around the area, no-one paying any attention to Kuboyama, too busy trying to uncover the truth.

It occurs to me that by exposing the auctions, Ota actually has a lot to lose. Even though he only told Kuboyama, and Kuboyama doesn't share his sources with other reporters, purely because he's too selfish, if anyone traced the auctioneers back to Ota Kisaki, his career would be over. Especially if they found out that his girlfriend used to be for sale, and that's how he gained her. Thinking about it makes me shiver, and Baba gives me a look of concern, then sympathy. "He'll handle it." Baba tells me quietly, "Ota always has a plan." This is news to me, but it comforts me a little. Just as Eisuke looks like he can't handle any more, and the manager has gone back inside in despair, Ota sprints over and climbs the steps. I notice the shadow of Soryu, hidden behind a pillar, his gun cocked, trained on Ota now. That explains Kuboyama's death, but I thought he'd be more subtle. Ota holds up his hands, and everyone falls silent, aside from the excited whispers, "It's Ota Kisaki!" "Maybe he's here to get his paintings back?"

Baba, who usually loves being the centre of attention, is staying hidden with me. He watches with a small smile as Ota declares, "Kuboyama was lying." I expect that the nosy reporter would have objected, had he not been dead. A shocked gasp ripples through the crowd, and Ota continues, "I donated my paintings to this hotel, to the head of C.E.O, Mr Ichinomiya himself. They're all legal and legitimate. The transfer was done via my manager, isn't that right Mitsunari?" Ota looks over at us with his angelic smile, and Baba looks stunned, walking, with me, towards the steps of the hotel. I've never heard him called by his first name before, it feels a little strange to me. "That's right." Baba nods, as we reach the stairs, and he joins Ota. "There's no illegal activity here, Kuboyama was just a reporter who was biased against Ota because of a report he wrote with invalid information about him, and had to apologise."

Soryu lowers his gun, watching us with a cold expression, but his eyes are filled with amazement. After the crowd 'realise' that there's nothing dodgy going on, they lose interest and start questioning Ota about his next art piece. I wonder if I'll get photographed with him this time, as the flashbulbs start going off again. It may be a little difficult to deny that one if Sakiko sees it in the papers. I wonder what'll happen to Kuboyama, but as I look to the spot where he was, he's gone. I guess I'll never find out.

A few hours later, we're all sat in the lounge of the Penthouse. Baba is playing cards with me, and Ota, Soryu, and Eisuke are chatting casually. Eisuke leans over to Baba and smiles with acid in his tone. "I'm going to let it slide that you tricked me and knocked me unconscious, but do it again, and Soryu will take care of you." Both men smile nastily at Baba, who just grins, placing a Royal Flush down on the table. "Okay!" He replies cheerfully, "I win Tasha."

"Also..." Eisuke turns back to Ota, "I can't help but think that you told them about the auctions, but thanks for stepping in, kid. For some obscure reason, the public believe you more than they believe the owner of the hotel." Ota gives him my favourite angelic smile, and then calls attention to him. Baba and I look up, and the others reluctantly stop talking. Ota grins at me, his amber eyes sparkling as he says, "Tasha is my girlfriend, not a pet. Which means that she's not everybody's, she's just mine." His speech seems to come off as a little possessive, but I know he means well, and I smile back at him.

Baba collects the cards, shuffling them, and Ota stands up, motioning for me to stand up too. "I'm heading to my room for the night." He states, and winks at me. "Tasha is coming with me. Don't disturb us." It seems like his last comment is aimed at Baba, but it either goes over his head, or he ignores it, as he just continues grinning. Ota grabs my hand and pulls me into his room, and for half a second I see sadness in Baba's eyes.

As the door closes.

****To be continued...****


	7. Episode 7

**(A/N: Hehe :D Ten reviews, OMG thank you guys 3 **

**LFM: The twists will keep on coming so check regularly ^^**

**Celery Stalks: Thank you for noticing Baba's love reference from the game, I like stealing quotes from him occasionally :)**

**Derp: You can read my update just below, and congratulations for being my tenth reviewer ^^**

**EvoFox: I have taken your comment into account and modified my stories to an easier to read format. ^^**

**The cookie monst: Thank you for your kind words :D**

**Bethycat: I try my best ^^**

**Anyone who I've missed, who has followed or favourited, thank you to you too 3**

**Love you all, thank you for reading my story ^^**

**That said, on with the update :D)**

****Episode 7****

When I wake in the morning, I'm cuddled tightly to Ota's chest, and he's breathing deeply, his pale skin slightly tinted with a light pink. He looks so peaceful lying there, you wouldn't think, to look at him now, that he'd been so close to dying yesterday, and for half the time, he didn't even know. Just one wrong move on anyone's part, myself, Ota, or even Baba, and Soryu would've taken us out from his shadowed cover. No-one would've seen, or been able to do anything about it. The proof of that was Kuboyama, and we still don't know what they did with him.

I fondly reach out and stroke his cheek, brushing a soft lock of his caramel fringe away from his eyes, and they flicker open, his golden irises fixed on me. The intensity of his stare makes me blush, and I'm about to pull away, when he grabs my wrist and pins me on the bed, chuckling softly. "Good morning Tasha." His usual teasing smile plays across his lips as he looks down at me, "Did you sleep well?" I'm stunned into silence, crimson flooding my cheeks, and seeing my vulnerability, he attacks, peppering my neck with kisses. A knock at the door makes us both look up. "If this is who I think it is…" Ota starts, before getting up, and looking me over, checking I'm suitably hidden beneath the silk sheets. He pulls the door open, and blocks it with his body, but Baba looks over his shoulder regardless.

"Morning pretty lady." He grins at me, and I return the smile without hesitation. "Good morning Baba." Ota returns from the door to settle on the bed, and it takes me a moment to realise he's shielding me from sight. Baba comes into the room, but noticeably keeps his distance. "Ota, I need to talk to you… alone." I'm expecting Ota to reply in my favour, say that anything Baba wants to say to him can be said to me. However, his face turns serious, and when he looks at me, all traces of humour have gone from his eyes. "Tasha, go and wait downstairs. If anyone tries anything, come back, but until then, stay until I tell you otherwise." This is starting to sound a lot like he thinks I'm a pet again. I sigh gently, and don't move. "Whatever it is, I can handle it." I say firmly, and Baba gently shakes his head, causing anger to flare in Ota's eyes. "Do I have to call you Koro for you to listen to me?" He addresses me in a sharp tone, "Go and wait downstairs."

A little stunned, I get up, and without looking at either of them, I make my way down into the lounge where the three men are, who usually wouldn't pay any attention to me. Eisuke looks up and smirks, but doesn't speak, and I stand in the corner, feeling awkward.

****Ota's POV****

"They're doing what?!" My heart sinks as Baba repeats what he just said. "Putting Tasha up for auction." His eyes are bitter, "Eisuke knows that you're the one who sent the reporters to his door. He wants a way to get to you. I guess she's the only way he knows." I scowl, "Or the only way he wants to use to show that I'm still under his control. Still, we can cancel the auction, can't we?" His eyes flicker with hope, "We can?" I nod, and smile innocently. "There's got to be a reason he didn't want me to know. Surely if I confront him with it, he'll stop the auction." Baba looks unsure, "I doubt that Eisuke will stop just because you tell him to. Besides, letting you know was as big a crime as not wearing my mask with a new auctioneer. If he knows you know, he'll know I told you. Then I'll get in trouble too." I sigh quietly, "We have to make sure she doesn't find out. If Tasha knows, she'll try to stop him, and I don't believe he'll hesitate to kill her." The words shock me as they leave my lips, but I know that it's true. "But wait…" Baba smiles, "She can't be sold if she isn't willing." I consider this fact, "Don't forget that they're not on our side any more, the rules may not apply for this auction."

Soryu appears in the doorway, ending our discussion. "Eisuke is calling a meeting, you're expected to be there." He tells us firmly, before turning and going back downstairs. We both follow, and I breathe a sigh of relief to see Tasha unharmed, for now.

****Tasha's POV****

I rush over to Ota and hug him tightly, and he smiles lightly, stroking my hair. "Go to my room and wait there." He tells me calmly, and when I meet his eyes, I can see past his angelic smile, there's pain in his golden irises. Instead of arguing that even though I haven't seen him for most of today, and I want to spend time with him, I simply nod, and walk past him, keeping my focus on the ground. I can't help but wonder what it is that they're keeping from me.

An hour later, Ota returns, and sinks down on the bed, and now, there's more than pain, there's despair. "What's happened Ota?" I sit at his side, and he doesn't reply, he just pulls me tightly against him. I can feel his heartbeat frantically pounding inside his chest, whatever this is, it's worse than just public demand. "Shhh…" He says quietly, "Don't ask questions." His fingers trace small circles on my back, which would usually soothe me, but now I'm concerned. "Ota please…" I beg him softly, wanting to lessen his burden. He pulls me away by my shoulders, and looks into my eyes. "Ask me one more time and I'll demote you to Koro again."

His voice is so sharp that I actually flinch. "S-sorry…" I reply quietly, still stunned by the ferocity of his tone. "I… I'll be right back. I just need to go and talk to Baba." Ota growls softly under his breath. "He won't tell you anything either!" He calls after me, but I just let the door close. I see Eisuke in the corridor, and he smirks at me. "Right on time, the auction starts soon." Then I feel a sharp pain in my skull, and I sink to the ground, my vision fading to black.

When I wake up, I can't move. There's gold in front of me, blurry gold lines. I try to reach out to touch them, and feel something pull at my wrists. I look down, and as everything comes into focus, I see that the lines are solid, and shiny. Bars, there's bars in front of me. I can't turn, my cuffs are attached to a chain which links to one of the bars at the side of me. The darkness lifts, like a curtain being swept up from the ground, and I realise that I'm in a cage. A giant birdcage, just like the one I was auctioned in when Eisuke first bought me. His words echo in my mind, and as the glaring lights of the stage blind me, it hits me. 'Right on time, the auction starts soon.' I'm being put up for auction again, that's why Ota was so upset. Couldn't he have stopped it?! I see the greasy skinned man who was at the first auction, his big teeth exposed as he grins menacingly. Up above me, a happy singsong voice sends chills down my spine.

"Shall we start the bidding?"

****To be continued…****


	8. Final Episode

****Final episode****

"We've got 10,000 to start, does anyone wish to place a bid?" I shut my eyes again, already feeling nauseous at hearing the 'healthy Japanese woman' speech again. I try my best to block it out, but the occasional bid catches my attention. "80,000 to seat #2000, anyone else?" Why does #2000 strike a chord with me? I don't recall why, but peeking out at the crowd, I can see the smirk on the greasy man's face, and as he calls his bid of 1 million, I realise that #2000 isn't his seat, and suddenly I want seat #2000 to outbid him. My eyes flicker up to the seat where Ota had taken me before, after we went down the 'Rabbit hole' to get to 'The Mad Hatter's Tea Party.' But I can't see anything. My vision is obscured by bars, and however much I try and pull away to get a better look, I can't move. "Sold for 40 million to seat #2000!"

Sold? I wonder who seat #2000 is… I know it's familiar, I just don't know why. My cage is moved backstage, and two masked men come to greet me. One of the men has blonde-brown hair, and the other has dark brown hair. I'm getting a serious sense of déjà vu here, the masks are even the same colour, gold just like the ones worn by Ota and Baba when they first came to get me. Of course, I didn't know who they were then, but… "Tasha!" W-wait, Ota?! The blond haired man rips his mask off, and pulls me into a very tight hug. "If it's you two releasing me, then who bought me?" I ask cautiously. "I don't understand…"

"I did." Eisuke grins as he pushes past Baba and Ota, "You did?" We all look at him in shock, and his grin doesn't fall. Baba looks the most stunned, "The boss put his hand in his pocket to buy something he already had? That doesn't make sense." Ota looks at me and then Eisuke in disbelief. "Why, Eisuke? Why did you scare us all like that?" His smile drops, "I don't have to explain myself to you, kid. I'm calling a meeting in the lounge to decide what to do with her."

As I stand in the lounge, looking at all the men, my heart starts racing. Ota is stood holding his mask, in one hand, and my hand in the other. Baba sits on the chair arm, his hat held against his chest, his head bowed just a little. Detective Kishi is stood on the stairs, a light smile on his face as he silently puffs on a cigarette. Eisuke settles on the red couch in front of me, his arm resting on the back, and Soryu forms a defensive stance behind the couch, his arms folded. As I look over the couch, I see the most beautiful view of the city. The sky looks so peaceful at night-time.

"Choose more carefully this time." Eisuke chuckles darkly, and the sparkle in his eyes is dangerous. He wants me to choose him. That was the whole point of the second auction. "You can decide who owns you." He smiles, and his words bring flashbacks. Of my decision to pick Ota, and everything that ensued from there. But now it seems my story is changing. "Who are you going to pick?" He asks, already knowing the answer. Just as I'm about to doom myself by picking Ota yet again, even though his eyes are pleading with me to choose the wrong path, and agree to go with Eisuke, something saves me from making that decision.

"Time's up."

****To be continued…****

**(A/N: Don't you hate it when the game does that to you? XD Well, you've reached the end of Ota's main story, but the sequel will be released at some point in the not too distant future. For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy… if you can…. Eisuke's main story :D **

**Regrettably, I will not be able to continue for quite some time due to something that's come up, but be patient please, and I'll try my best to update when I can. ^^)**


	9. Eisuke's Path (Episode One)

**(A/N: Hello people! This is my update! And it's about time, stupid life :) Anyways, this is Eisuke's path now, so enjoy ^-^)**

**Episode One**  
Suddenly Mr Ichinomiya reaches forward and grabs me by the waist, tossing me over his shoulder. Without a word, he starts up the stairs and I can hear the others muttering behind him. Ota's voice sounds pained, "The boss always claims the best things." He sounds like he's scowling, but I don't exactly hear him running up here to save me. Or maybe he just doesn't want a bullet in his brain. Baba's voice is much quieter, and I can't make out what he's saying, but there's an undertone of sadness to it, and I don't think it's on Ota's behalf.  
I don't have much time to contemplate this interesting idea, as I'm tossed down onto the bed, and Mr Ichinomiya stands above me, silent and unsmiling. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" I yell at him, and he stares coldly at me as the corner of his lips curl into a terrifying scowl. "You're not supposed to speak without permission." As I fight back trembling, and glower at him, my mind takes me back yet again to when I'd first been bought, and he'd said the same thing then. Mustering up every ounce of courage inside me, I retort fiercely, "I'm not going to bow down to you, Eisuke."  
I don't know if it's the words themselves that cause his scowl to turn into a frown of utter disbelief that makes my blood run cold, or if it's the fact I called him by his first name. Either way, this is not going to end well. The agonisingly sharp pain that sears through me as the I feel the impact of his palm colliding with my cheek, comes with such force that my head turns, and my skin begins to sting. A soft whimper escapes my throat, and as I look up, I see olive irises that haven't got even a hint of sympathy in them. Eisuke's hair falls over his eyes like Ota's does, but does nothing to lessen the cruel gaze. He continues speaking then as if I haven't even interjected. "You will only answer questions with yes and okay, do you understand?"  
I swallow, breathing softly as I start to wonder if this is a nightmare, and I'll wake up in my bed beside Ota. I don't dare to close my eyes to find out, I simply reply in defeat with, "Yes." A smile flickers momentarily across his lips, and then the scowl returns. "Good. Now go and make me a coffee." I notice he doesn't give me any instruction on how he likes his coffee, am I just supposed to know? I have no idea if this requires an answer or not, so I just say, "Okay." Then go into what I assume to be the kitchen and hunt for coffee. When I find the jar, I'm a little stunned, this is seriously expensive coffee! I can recall seeing it in a shop with Sakiko, and the price tag was over £10! It claims to be completely natural and give a smooth taste, but there's nothing about them being against slavery, no Fairtrade stamp. The nasty thought darkens my mind that if it did support slavery, he'd have wanted to buy it more, and I quickly shake that off. Pull yourself together Tasha, it's just coffee. I silently scold myself, and then pick up the jar, struggling as I start to carry it to the counter where the kettle is, this thing weighs a tonne and the jar is glass, which doesn't help!  
I seem to be reminiscing a lot today, and doing this, struggling with the heavy object reminds me of the box that sealed my fate. The day I got interrupted and dropped the Venus statue, causing me to be put in the auction in its place. I can feel the jar slipping from my fingers, and I place it on the counter hurriedly, as I go to grab a jug to fill the kettle, I don't realise how much of the jar base is off the edge of the counter, until it overbalances, and falls.  
The soul-shattering echo resonates off the walls as the heavy jar smashes into the ground, spraying the tile floor with finely-ground coffee, and sharp fragments of glass skid away from the destruction, some stopping just near my feet.  
I hear angry footsteps from the other side of the door, and I close my eyes, backing away as the sound of inevitable punishment gets closer, and closer. Suddenly, I feel an agonisingly sharp pain in my foot, and I can feel warm liquid trickling onto the tiles. I peek out and see my crimson blood staining the ground. I stepped on a shard of glass. Great, another thing I'll get scolded for.  
My attention turns to the door as it swings open.  
**To be continued…**


	10. Eisuke's Path (Episode Two)

****Episode Two****

"What have you…" Eisuke stops when he sees the utter destruction of his kitchen floor. I see anger flare in his eyes, burning in a strong flame of fiery rage, and I close my eyes again, tensing up, breathing fast, my heart threatening to break out of my chest and flee the room. The sound of his voice, not angry, but concerned and serious, makes me dare to take a look, and I see him stood beside me. "You're bleeding." He informs me, matter-of-factly, and he scoops me up, stepping over the fragmented glass, then places me on the counter, and opens a draw, rooting through it with haste. He produces a pair of tweezers and a roll of bandages. I suddenly realise I don't know whether I should be relieved that he's not angry, or scared that he's going to attempt to remove the glass from my foot, by himself. I mean, head of CEO isn't exactly the same as Senior Surgeon.

Looking down at my blood-stained shoe, I realise that the glass has gone through the thin sole, and directly into my foot, effectively pinning the shoe to my foot. Surely we need a doctor? Eisuke doesn't seem to think so, as he places his thumb and forefinger on either side of the glass under my foot, and tugs gently. I wince, my hands firmly gripping the counter, and a look of apology flickers in his eyes, but he responds with, "Stay still." I bite my lip softly, watching him as he picks up the tweezers, aligning them with the fragment with one hand, holding my ankle firmly with the other. I close my eyes tightly, wincing once more as I can actually feel the sharp sliver of glass sliding out of my foot. He carefully places the bloodied glass on the counter beside me, before removing my shoe, placing that on the floor. I guess he has a superstition about getting bad luck from putting shoes on surfaces, and I can't say I blame him. He quickly takes off my soaked lace sock, then lifts my stinging foot, examining the wound. The laceration from the glass is deep, and it's acutely painful, but I don't dare to make a sound. Eisuke clicks his tongue, getting up, and opens the cupboards, searching for something else. He pulls down a large blue bottle, labelled 'antiseptic', and unscrews the cap, picking up a cloth from the side, and soaking it in the liquid. Without warning, he presses the cloth to my wound, and an agonisingly sharp pain sears through my foot, making me yelp. A low chuckle escapes his throat, which he covers with a slight frown of concentration as he grabs the bandages, starting to wrap my foot in a tight gauze. When he's satisfied that the blood flow has been stemmed, he moves back to admire his handiwork.

"I'll clean this up, seeing as walking on that would be a bad idea. But I still want my coffee, and try not to take out anything else whilst making it." Again, I detect the quiet chuckle, and a hint of amusement in his voice. This should be quite literally adding insult to injury for me, however, I kind of like that he has a sense of humour because it makes a refreshing change from always being so serious. "Y-yes Sir." I reply obediently, and he clicks his tongue again. "No no no, that won't do. Call me Eisuke." As I breathe softly, I realise I responded to a question that didn't require an answer, and this seems to break the rules he set, I spoke without being given permission, but he hasn't even noticed.

"Eisuke…" I say warily, and he looks up at me, pausing in the middle of tipping the glass into the bin. "Yes?" I suddenly feel crimson flooding my cheeks as I actually feel shy. I notice his eyes are soft, the dark olive that was so cold before, seems almost gentle. "Thank you." I manage, a shock of electricity sparking in the air as our eyes meet. He nods once, then looks away again. "I wasn't going to just let you bleed on my floor." He responds with a small smile, then walks away, calling back, "As for how I like my coffee, you'll only get it wrong once." Then, he's gone. I find a peculiar smile on my lips, a strange feeling of happiness inside me. My happiness is short-lived though, as a sharp voice inside my head brings me back to reality.  
'Koro.' Ota's voice sounds disapproving inside my head, and I realise that he's become the voice of my conscience. 'You're wagging your tail for someone else.' Shamefully, I try to deny it, speaking aloud, but quietly, so only I can hear. "I am not. It's just that Eisuke was really nice to me just then, rather than get angry, and his eyes are quite beautiful when he's not angry…" I stop myself in shock as I realise what I've just said. 'You haven't thought about me once while you've been with him, have you?' A low groan escapes my lips as the words hit me, I'd forgotten about Ota. Everything about my sexy golden eyed artist, had been lost in those soft olive irises. Suddenly, I become annoyed, and retaliate. "I don't see you coming up here to save me." His illusionary voice softens, and he sighs. 'I can't, Tasha. Eisuke isn't a good man, if you and I aren't careful, we could both be in danger.' I whine softly, my voice is high and irritating, but I don't care. "But I want to see you!"

A cold voice breaks into my thoughts, "He's in the lounge. We're going down there now to discuss the auctions, you can see him then, but don't try anything." The statement makes me blush deeply, as I realise he's been stood there, maybe for the whole time, listening. I'm about to protest that I'm not crazy, even though he just witnessed me talking to the air, when Eisuke walks over, and takes out my earring, studying it. I look at him in surprise, and he tosses it to me. When I examine the small stud, minus the silver ring, I realise I've never seen it before in my life, and hidden behind my hair, I never would have known. The 'stud' is actually a speaker with a built in microphone, so tiny that only people that had worked with them before, would have known what it was. "Not conscience…" I mumble quietly, and he chuckles without humour, "Not conscience." Ota gave me the earrings a week after I became his pet, real silver, and said I must wear them at all times. "Clever…" Eisuke comments quietly.

"But foolish…"

****To be continued…****


	11. Eisuke's Path (Episode Three)

****Episode Three****

When we arrive in the lounge, Ota is sat on the couch, an amused expression on his face. His golden irises lock on mine, sending a flush of crimson through my cheeks. "Hello Koro." He grins, and Baba looks up at me, his eyes glittering with mischief. I have a feeling that I'm about to endure some unrelenting teasing, and blushing is not helping. Ota beckons me over, and Eisuke glares at him, his cool expression returning once more. "Tasha is mine now, remember?" He states coldly, making both Ota and Baba dissolve into soft laughter. I have the urge to laugh with them, but I don't think it would be a good idea. "What's so funny?" Eisuke's olive eyes fix on mine, and even through his serious demeanour, I can see the hint of a smirk playing on his lips.  
Ota notices my injured foot, and his smile fades. "Nothing." He responds warily, "What happened there?" Eisuke shrugs, "She stood on some broken glass in the kitchen." I feel my cheeks flame once more as Baba gets up, his attention also on me, causing Soryu and Detective Kish to look in my direction too. Ever the comedian, Baba tries to break the slowly growing tension.

"A pretty lady shouldn't be in the kitchen." He says warmly, his eyes seem to be avoiding mine though, almost as though that moment our eyes met last, is lingering in his mind like a sweet aftertaste. Even Ota notices this, and I hear a hint of jealousy in his voice, "You're drooling." He points out, nudging Baba, and he covers it with a light chuckle. Eisuke realises that the attention has drifted from him, and clearly he dislikes being ignored by other people just as much as it irks him when I accidentally do it. "Maybe not, but she's nothing more than a pet."

The words cut into me like a physical blow, and the insult hurts more than it should. I notice just how fiercely he's glaring at me, and I realise the problem. To both of them, it seems like I'm wagging my tail for Baba. The craziest thing is, I start to wonder what would happen if I allowed myself to see the gentleman behind the thief, if I let myself fall. There are some things about Baba that I never noticed when I was with Ota, like the mischievous sparkle in his warm brown eyes, the somewhat cute way that his locks of soft mousy hair fall over them, just a little. There's the glint of his white teeth every time he laughs, and the gentlest smile that comforts me no matter how dire the situation becomes. Moving away from the icy blade of anger that seems to be aimed at me, I go to stand next to Baba, and he grins, then unexpectedly, he moves away. As he walks past me, I feel something moderately cool and rough in texture, pressed into my palm. I close my fingers around it tightly, already imagining what it might say inside, what secrets this little piece of paper might hold.

Eisuke catches my wrist, lifting it up as he tightens his grip, and I wince. "Give me the note." Suddenly, I become very stubborn. This is my message, this is my secret, and there is no way that I'm letting him see it. I shake my head defiantly, causing his eyes to flare. "Pet." He hisses, drawing all attention to us, and causing Baba to bow his head. "Give. Me. The. Note." Eisuke repeats in a low, dangerously quiet tone. "No." I reply firmly, my heart starting to race as I can feel him readying to pounce. "No?" He tilts his head slowly, like a hungry panther stalking his prey, his olive eyes burning into mine. "Hm." Without another word, he drags me towards his room by my wrist, still holding it tightly. I look up at him with scared eyes, and he stops when we get inside, and twists my arm up behind my back, forcing me down to kneel at his feet, a sharp pain radiating through my shoulder. "Aah…" I whimper softly, and he snarls at me. "Shut up. You had your chance to comply, you stubborn little bitch, and you chose to fight against me." He starts to undress, and I swallow, bile rising in my throat as I realise what he's planning.

"Now you must pay."

****To be continued…****


	12. Eisuke's Path (Episode Four)

****Episode Four****

"Tasha?" Baba's voice shakes me out of my daydream, and I blink twice, looking around. His laughter is nervous, "Are you okay pretty lady?" I look up at him, and after a subtle look around, I slip the note into my pocket, not wanting the consequence of Eisuke seeing it. I force a smile and nod, "Yes… I guess I just spaced out." Ota grins at me from the couch and pipes up, "Better than talking to yourself." I stick my tongue out at him, but secretly, I'm grateful for the distraction, my heart is still pounding from my vivid imagination. "You shouldn't have bugged my earrings!" I retaliate playfully, and he pouts. "Better take your col….necklace off. There's a tracker in it." I look down at the silver tag in shock, and he and Baba start laughing like two naughty schoolboys. "Man she's gullible." Baba comments with a sweet smile, and I facepalm, groaning softly as my cheeks become aflame with embarrassment. "Aww, don't tease her." Ota grabs my hand, pulling me down onto the couch beside him, and Eisuke raises an eyebrow, but says nothing.

"So, discussing the auctions?" I prompt him, even though the auctions are the last thing I want to talk about, it's better than facing suspicion from certain people. "Indeed." Eisuke dismisses me with a wave of his hand and goes to talk with Soryu and Ota. Baba gives me a secret smile from under the brim of his hat, and Detective Kishi returns to his usual stance of smoking carelessly by the window. Without alerting anyone, I silently return to Ota's room, knowing it'll take a while for them to find me, as they won't look here first, and I unfold the note. 'Tasha, I have been protecting you from the others for some time, as you know, but as nice as Eisuke can seem, it's simply pretence. You need to get away from here. I'm not forcing you, but I would like to provide your escape, and I'd be most pleased if you invited me along. I was thinking of Italy. Bella Italia. Because it's beautiful, like you.' I find myself smiling as I read the neat writing, and then I move my finger, reading his signature, 'Mitsunari Baba'

A wave of sadness washes over me though, as I realise just how many lives are at risk if I do this. Shaking my head gently, I leave the room, and almost walk into Baba, who greets me with an eager smile. "I can't…" I whisper softly, and his smile drops, his eyes becoming angry. As my words sink in, uncaring of drawing attention from the others, he grabs me by the shoulders, staring deep into my eyes. "How many times are you gonna make me worry about you?" he asks, desperation breaking through in his usually calm voice. "Follow me." Without waiting for an answer, he heads off upstairs, and I chase after him, ignoring the burning on my back from Eisuke's sudden glare. When I reach the landing, he's gone. His voice echoes through the hall, coming from a door I've yet to open. "In here." He calls, his tone soft, and I detect a hint of sultry. When I push the door open, I see him sat on his windowsill, the window open, a cool breeze blowing in from the midnight blue sky. One polished shoe is resting on the ledge, as his other leg hangs off the edge, a casual pose. His hand in placed on his hat, and his head is slightly bowed, a wicked smile on his lips, just a hint of his teeth showing, his eyes watching me, lit up with excitement. "You followed." He states, both surprised and happy. The translucent white curtain drifts over his hand momentarily, and he looks up, beckoning me over. "Come here."  
I walk over to stand in front of him, and he suddenly pulls me against his chest, cuddling me tightly, his hand gently stroking my hair as he whispers in my ear.

"Italy."

****To be continued…** **


	13. Eisuke's Path (Episode Five)

****Episode Five****

Upon hearing footsteps, I panic, and try to pull away, and Baba soothes me quietly. "What's wrong?" he asks, before realising there's a growing shadow under the door. "Oh… we'll hide, just stay still and trust me." He whispers softly, then he holds me even tighter, and scoops me up, cuddling me against his chest as he lifts me onto the windowsill, resting me on his lap, which causes that shy fire to start burning in my cheeks again. Carefully, he removes his dark red jacket, and placing me next to him, he stands up, very skilfully not falling out of the open window, tying the arm of the jacket around the curtain pole, which makes the translucent material look opaque. He drops down beside me again, and pulls me close to his body, as he pins his back against the side of the window, breathing silently as we hear the door finally swing open.

"She's not here." I hear Ota's voice, and I see his golden hair as I peek out from behind the curtain, his hand lightly pushes my foot, and I pull away. I hear a soft sigh of relief as I do so, and I realise it's from Ota. He's… helping us? Eisuke growls under his breath, and the chink of metal against bone resonates as Ota falls to the ground, and I see a flash of red. "This is bad." Baba whispers in my ear, lifting the jacket just a little, so we're still concealed, but I can just about see through the translucent curtain.

The locks of soft blonde are stained with deep red, and I can scarcely hear quiet groaning. "Boss…" His voice is strained as we watch with baited breath, "Why?"  
Eisuke shakes his head disapprovingly, "Because you let them get away! Now go and search every inch of this hotel until you find them, she knows too much." I can feel how hard my heart is beating, and until I look down, I don't realise that my body is trembling. Baba places soft kisses down my neck, whispering soothing words against the sensitive skin of my neck, his warm breath tickling me, making me feel a little better. "Shh… it's okay pretty lady, they won't find us." My hopes are confirmed as Eisuke stalks out of the room and storms downstairs, leaving Ota to bleed on the floor. Baba pushes the curtain aside and jumps down, crouching beside the artist, who doesn't seem at all surprised to see either of us. "What… happened?"

Taking Baba's hand as his friend tries to help him up, Ota looks at me with pain in those gentle golden irises, "Eisuke hit me with his gun." He states weakly, "Ow…" I look at him in shock, "He shot you?" I ask, starting to feel quite nauseous, and Baba gently moves me aside so he can examine the wound. "No, but that'll be next. He'll get Soryu to do it, you two have to get away from here!"

Ota still speaks quietly, but I can hear the panic in his voice. I feel him wince as I place my hand in his, trying to soothe him, the pain coming from the disturbance as Baba moves Ota's blood-matted hair. "I think it broke the skin, but you've got a thick skull, I doubt there'll be any lasting effects."

Ota manages a weak smile, and then all three of us freeze as we hear footsteps. "Eisuke's coming back, and he may have company. You two had better leave." Concern is written all over his face as we both leap to our feet, looking around in sheer panic. "There's no way out!" I whimper, and Baba swallows, removing his hat as he takes a step back, his eyes fixed on the door.

As it slowly swings open…

****To be continued…****


	14. Eisuke's Path (Episode Six)

****Episode Six****

"Soryu?" Baba's eyes widen as the face we least expected to see, appears in the doorway, his gun cocked, trained on my companion. "Money lost is as bad as blood spilt to the boss." The black haired mobster speaks cryptically, in a smooth voice. "He paid extra to get the girl in his possession. He doesn't care if I spill some blood to get back his money." I press my back to Baba's body just like when we were hiding, in a protective stance, and he rests his chin on my head. "You'll have to go through me first." I tell Soryu fiercely, and he chuckles darkly. "I intend to." His finger toys with the trigger, his cold unblinking eyes locked on mine.

I feel Baba's heart rate increasing, pounding against my back as he starts to panic, and this time, I reach back for his hand, squeezing it gently. "It'll be okay." I whisper, and I can almost sense his fear melting. Soryu seems unamused by our show of affection, and he starts to pull the trigger back, when Eisuke throws open the door, causing Soryu to let go of the trigger and lower his gun. "We'll deal with them later, it's auction time soon, and we're an item down." We both breathe a sigh of relief, and Ota gets up, leaving the room very quickly. "Soryu, stay here and keep an eye on these two. Me, Mamo, and the kid will go to the auction." He nods solemnly, his gun still lowered to the ground. I watch helplessly as the door closes.

****Ota's POV****

I head down to my art gallery to relax after cleaning myself up, and not wanting to attract attention, I watch people quietly, slightly amused by the fact they don't even know I'm here. My eyes flicker over to a young girl, stood admiring my painting of Koro. She looks a little lost, and strangely enough, she reminds me of Tasha. I walk over and stand by her side, listening in as she talks to her herself quietly, but there's excitement in her voice. Something about visiting Japan, wanting to see as much of the place as she can before she goes home, her friend Alistair recommending my art gallery and her deciding to check it out after hearing lots of good things about it. I have a feeling she'll melt into a pool at my feet if she realises who I am.

As she continues looking around at everything, wandering through the halls, still not noticing my presence, a big smile appears on her face and she stops in front of my Bluebird, which at this moment, is red. "Dang!" She exclaims out loud, "Alistair wasn't kidding, this place is amazing!" I chuckle softly to myself, as I think, 'Who even says dang?' Then I follow her again, this time intending to be seen as I go over as if to admire my picture like a spectator. "A personal favourite of mine." I state quietly, trying to keep myself from laughing.

"Ah!" She jumps, and then looks at me, stunned, only to drop her gaze to the floor, clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry." I give her my usual gentle angelic smile, "Why? Actually, I'm sorry for startling you." A soft pink flushes her cheeks as she keeps her gaze on the ground, laughing nervously, "Ah… haha it's a habit of mine…. I apologise too much." She scratches the back of her head, making it more evident that she's embarrassed. I get the feeling that guys never usually talk to her, that would explain the awkwardness she's displaying now. After apparently pulling herself together, she continues, "You're fine, I'm such a scaredy-cat at times." The way this girl is so unsure of herself, is giving me an air of confidence, and suddenly, my sadness of the plagiarism scandal over this very painting, comes flooding back.

"I know the feeling of being insecure around people, especially with the plagiarism accusations with Rin…" My soft golden eyes lock on hers, and I give her a comforting smile. "No need to apologise, Miss?" She frowns, clearly still not realising who I am, and looks back up at me, and I watch her face flood with crimson, as she mutters to herself, so quietly that I'm not supposed to hear, "I've never seen eyes like his, there's no way that somebody's eyes can be that beautiful." As she remembers that I'm still waiting for her response, she quickly replies, "It's Brianna, what's your name?" In my head, my cynical side breaks through as I think, 'She's in my gallery but she doesn't know who I am? Who is this girl?'

Looking at her again, I smile sweetly, "I'm Ota Kisaki, nice to meet you, Brianna." Clearly, she's losing interest of me as I'm just another spectator to her, and she smiles back, before turning her attention back to the jewelled painting. I fondly brush my fingers over the red section of the painting, the body of the bird we're studying. "Those jewels turn blue if you make it dark and shine a light on them, you know." I swore to myself that the Bluebird would never be featured in my gallery, and that I would give it to Tasha to keep, but after she went into the boss's possession, I couldn't trust that he wouldn't auction it, so it ended up here. This statement gets the girl's attention again, and she looks up at me with childlike excitement, a big smile on her face. "What? Really? That's amazing! Can I see it?"

I start to struggle to keep my gentle smile on show, this girl really isn't that smart. "The people in the gallery may panic if the lights go off. Maybe later." I nod once, the angelic smile staying on my lips. This seems to satisfy her, and she responds with "Oh, okay." Then to add insult to injury, she pipes up. "Still, that's a really cool idea, never would've thought of that in a million years." It's about time to put her out of her unknowing misery. "I did. Everyone thought I'd stolen the idea from Rin's red bird until they realised my bird was blue, and her jewels were fake." I run my fingers though my hair, speaking casually. The look on her face is classic as she freezes, putting the pieces together in her head. "Wait… is this your painting?"

Oh finally, she's figured it out. I look at her again, my eyes glittering. "Of course. You're in my gallery." I smile as she looks around once more, taking in all the pieces, knowing they're my work, and then looks back at her shoes and mumbles. "You're really good." Again, I can hear her muttering her thoughts, and pretending I can't hear them, is getting more and more difficult. "Honestly Brianna, you've been standing next to an assumingly famous artist all this time. I could just die right here."

As though we've been standing in silence, I smile modestly, "I'm not that good. Would you like me to show you around?" She smiles weakly up at me, and responds with "Um, sure…" Then as I start to walk away, I allow a smirk to cross my lips as I hear her add quietly, "I just keep making a fool of myself, I'm surprised Mr Kisaki is still talking to me." A dark thought taints my good mood, and I sigh, the auctions will be starting soon, I need to get back to the hotel. To make it look as if I've just realised this, I check my watch, and give her a sad smile. "Actually, I have a meeting to get to. Maybe I'll see you around?" As I glance over at the spectators, I realise that one has just notice me, and I'll get flooded by fans soon. "Ah, okay. Have a nice day Mr Kisaki, sorry for being a bother." Brianna responds, sounding quite deflated, but I don't have time to care about that as I quickly leave the gallery and head for the hotel.

"Where have you been?" Eisuke scowls at me, and I ignore the scowl, explaining quickly, "More paparazzi, I got held up." Baba hands me some scrolls to check for legitimacy and I hand them back a few moments later. "Yes, these are real. Deerskin, you can tell the age on them just by that." He nods, and turns to look for Eisuke, who's already gone upstairs. "I'll let the boss know. " I notice that he's no longer hostage, and ask, "Where's Tasha?" He bows his head, "Soryu took her to Eisuke's room, said that I'm needed for the auctions. I got sent down here. They won't hurt her though." He sounds unsure, but I guess there's nothing he can do. "On a lighter note, have you seen what's up for auction aside from these?" He holds up the scrolls and I shrug. "I've seen the list,  
there's nothing of interest."

Mamo looks over at us, and then heads towards the door with a determined expression on his face. "Where are you going at this time?" I ask, a little concerned to see actual movement from the detective, as he usually just stands being smoky. "None of your business, kid." He replies before leaving, and Baba muses quietly. "He said to the boss that he can find us an item to auction to replace the missing one…"

****Brianna's POV****

Just as I reach the lobby of Hotel Tres Spades, my phone vibrates. Fiona, my best friend who's accompanying me here in Japan, has sent me a very long text which I cannot be bothered reading. "Honestly Fiona." I mutter to myself out loud, "Wouldn't it have been easier to call me?" Deciding to read it later, I stuff the phone back in my pocket, and start thinking about Mr Kisaki, wondering where he's staying, maybe even in this hotel? My phone vibrates again, Fiona again this time she's asking me to meet her at a restaurant downtown in a few minutes. I put my phone away again, switching it off to save battery, seeing that it's on low anyway, and then go outside again, taking a shortcut past the hotel, through a back alley.

As I walk through the alley, I start to get scared, and I bow my head, walking faster, then realise I'm lost, and unlock my phone, loading up a map on the screen to get directions. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands grabs me from behind, and I drop my phone in shock, wincing as I hear it shatter, then I kick and scream, struggling hard to try and get free, thinking 'Oh God, I'm going to be killed!" Then everything goes black.

****To be continued…****


	15. Eisuke's Path (Final Episode)

****Last Episode****

I feel groggy as I begin to wake up, looking around. "What just…happened?" I try to move my hands, but I can't, and as I look down, I see golden handcuffs. "What the-" I look around, dazed, and see that I'm in some kind of giant cage, with an audience leering at me. "Just what is going on?!" Upon getting no response, I rest my head against the bars, starting to panic. "Woah….woah woah WHOA!" I'm completely shell-shocked as I whimper to myself, "I want to die… please don't do this to me, please!" As I sink down in my prison, I'm barely aware of what's going on around me, too deep in my own thoughts. I shouldn't have gone down there. I don't know this city. I should have been paying attention, I should have been carrying pepper spray or something. Will my friends miss me? Fiona, Alistair… will they look for me? Will I ever see my family again?

****Ota's POV****

"We've got a treat for you tonight!" The auctioneer announces, "A healthy American girl!" I look down from the box where we're watching the auction, and glance at Mamo, who seems to have joined us, and is smirking, looking undeniably proud of himself. "Whoever she is…" I say slowly, "She wasn't on the list." He shrugs carelessly, "We were an item down, and she was wandering around in an alleyway, just asking to be taken." Just as I'm about to comment, the auctioneer speaks again, "Shall we start the bidding?" I look down at the trembling girl in the birdcage, and although she's no bluebird, she reminds me of Tasha. Before Eisuke even has a chance to call, I place a bid of £1000 down. "£1000 to seat #2000, does anyone wish to go higher?" The people tonight don't seem to care much for the ownership of the girl, and no-one else bids, causing the auctioneer to get quite frustrated. "Going once. Going twice. Sold, to seat #2000!" I watch as she's carried backstage, and Baba and myself put our masks on, before going down to retrieve her.

****Brianna's POV****

I've just been sold to God knows who for who knows what! Am I going to be raped? Oh no, please God no! I'm such a stupid idiot! As I continue to berate myself in my head, I notice two masked men coming towards me, and I scoot backwards in my cage to get away from them. This is all just too much! My gaze falls on a blonde haired guy who looks suspiciously familiar, but not being able to see very well, I have to squint to try and make him out. He seems to be thinking the same, because as draws close, he says quietly, "She looks familiar..." The brown haired man reaches out to me, his voice gentle. "Don't be scared, c'mon out." I hesitate for a moment, looking back and forth between him and his outstretched hand, before nervously placing mine in his.

He smiles gently, unspeaking now as he leads me out of the cage, and up a set of stairs, the golden haired man following close behind, also staying silent. I walk up alongside one of the masked men, the one that seems the most kind. But I'm determined to stay on my guard now, I can't keep being a naïve idiot, look where that landed me! With my hand clutched to my chest to try and steady my beating heart, I look back at the other man, still squinting. Through the eyeholes of the mask, although they're surrounded by the shadow of the mask, I can make out beautiful golden eyes. My own eyes widen in shock. "M-Mr Kisaki?" I stutter, and the blonde man looks at me, and then walks on ahead without a word of response. I look up at him, completely puzzled now, and then focus on where I'm going again, wondering if it wasn't him, since he didn't reply, and grip the other man's hand tighter. I want to go home.

We arrive in a room filled with luxurious furniture, a red carpeted winding staircase, and a red couch, in which the blonde haired man settles on, and soon, the brown haired man lets go of my hand, going to sit on the couch too. Two more men appear in the room from opposite sides of the room, and stare at me, one with much darker brown, cropped short hair, the other with slicked back black hair. I fidget awkwardly from all these hard stares. Gosh, if looks could kill, I'd be six feet under! Looking around the room, trying my best to avoid meeting any of the men's eyes, I force my voice to work. "….hi."  
The blond haired man removes his mask, and the brown haired man does the same, and as he scrutinises me, it hits us both at the same time. "Brianna?" I quickly glance up at him, and the other man. So it IS him! I nod ever so slightly. "Well this was…unexpected." Mr Kisaki shrugs carelessly, and then stretches out on the couch. I can only stare, is that all he has to say about the matter? I exhale loudly through my nose and give a pleading look to the other men, hoping they'll explain the situation. I don't trust myself to speak anymore; I've embarrassed myself enough as it is.

Mr Kisaki gives me a light smile, then turns to the brown haired man, "Hmm… think she could be the new Koro?" he asks him, and he laughs softly. "Well, that'd be music to Tasha's ears but… it's up to you." I tilt my head to the side in confusion, my irritation rising slightly from the lack of answers and explanations. "Who's Tasha and Koro?" Mr Kisaki smiles gently, "You're Koro, and Tasha is… Ask Eisuke." This is just getting more confusing, and weird, damn it, I'm not even sure if this is real life! And, where did this 'Koro' come from?! "I'm Brianna…"

"Dogs can't talk. I'd advise you to stop it." Mr Kisaki's smile has vanished, and he speaks firmly. The brown haired man gives me a look of sympathy as the words sink in. Did he just… I feel my face turning red, and I want to curl up in a warm blanket and hide away from the world, and get away as far as possible from these guys. "Aww, poor little Koro is scared." Mr Kisaki coos gently, holding his hand out to me. "Would it make you feel better to know who these strange men are?" Eisuke chuckles softly at his comment, and adds, "Speak for yourself, kid."

I feel my cheeks heat up, seems Mr Kisaki is all done playing the nice guy. I rub my arm awkwardly, staring at the floor, managing only a small shrug. The brown haired man sighs, and takes over. "I'm Mitsunari Baba, this is Eisuke Ichinomiya, Soryu Oh and Ota Kisaki. The guy by the window is Mamoru Kishi." I look at each man in turn before giving a nod to Mr Mitsunari. He truly does seem to be a good man, the others I cannot say by the looks they're giving me. I rub my eyes sleepily, noticing the sky has changed to dark blue. I've never been good at staying up late.  
Mr Kisaki jumps up from the couch, and heads towards the staircase.

"C'mon Koro!"

****To be continued…****


	16. Baba's Path (Episode One)

Kissed by the Baddest Bidder- Mitsunari Baba

****Episode One****

I give one last glance at the others behind me, before grudgingly following him. I don't want to risk seeing what will happen if I refuse, would he go so far as to hurt me? And besides, maybe if I go alone with this, I'll finally get some answers. Mr Kisaki goes on ahead, most likely assuming I'll follow, so I do. When we reach his room, I stop as I peer inside the doorway cautiously. He smiles at me, his eyes lighting up. "You followed! Good girl!" I blush and take a few steps into the room, getting a closer look of the pictures hanging along the wall, my hands gripping the front of my jacket.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." A mischievous grin flickers across his lips. "Come and sit down." I let my guard down slightly, giving a small nod before walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. "Hey, pets aren't allowed on the furniture!" He scolds me, his voice disapproving. "Eek!" I jump off the bed, backing away from him, my arms held up in defence and my eyes tightly closed. Unable to stop myself I say repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He laughs softly, "You look so scared Koro, silly little doggy." I look out from behind my arms, very worried as I let out a little whimper. "Aww…" His heart seems to melt as he hears the sound, "Shh... Come here. I promise I won't hurt you."

I slowly put my arms down, yet my body is still tensed. He doesn't actually seem mad, I think to myself, and as I do, I inch closer to him, tempted to bite my nails as a nervous tendency. He points at his feet, smiling kindly at me. "Sit." I look down to where he's pointing, and breathe a huge sigh of relief, not realising I'd been holding my breath. That's it? Sitting on the floor? Well that's 10 times better than getting hit! I kneel on the floor, then shift to a sitting position, looking up at him with big soft innocent eyes. If this is what it takes to stay safe, I'll do it. He strokes my hair gently, running his fingers through it, "Your fur is so soft, Koro." He states quietly, and I shiver a little as he teases the locks of my hair, it actually feels…nice. I close my eyes sighing contentedly, and then panic as I think, wait, what?! Okay, I cannot get comfortable around this guy! Uh, uh, no! What if he's one of these crazy artists that gets high and stuff? Suddenly a very frightening thought occurs to me, "Oh God… what if he legitimately thinks I'm a dog?!" I think he senses my panic, because he looks down at me with concern, "What's up?"

I shake my head back and forth, getting rid of the thought. I just look up and give a half-hearted smile before looking back down at my shoes. 'You're being silly Brianna', I scold myself internally, 'He didn't call you a dog at the museum, it must just be a thing of his.' The unexpected thought of Mr Kisaki putting a collar on me makes my cheeks flush, leaving me as red as a cherry. "Well?" He looks down at me expectantly, "Koro is whining about something. Does she need feeding?" He watches me carefully. I glance back up at him, about to speak, but then remember that dogs aren't supposed to talk, and doing so might get me in trouble. Instead, I tilt my head to the side and look at him in confusion, unintentionally mimicking a confused puppy.

He leans down and kisses me on the nose, "Want to play, girl?" He asks in an eager voice, and I jump in surprise. 'H-he kissed me… not on the lips…but still…' I feel a blush forming across my nose and cheeks, 'Mr Kisaki is just weird, what does he want from me?' I merely shrug, wary of what form of playing he's referring to. "Do you want to play, or not?" He reaches across to the table, picking up a glass of water, which he  
sips from before noticing my crimson cheeks. "D'aaw, you're blushing! How cute."

I pull the hood of my coat over my head, to try and hide my blush, but right now, that's the least of my worries. What does he want me to say? What choice won't get me killed? After debating in my head, I nod and prepare myself for the worst. He beams, and pets my head. "Shake!" I raise my hand up, letting it hang limp, and he shakes his head, his voice patient as he explains it to me. "No… put your paw in my hand." I scoot forward closer to him, lightly placing my hand in his. So far this seems fine, but I know he's not teasing, and he won't trick me, not anymore. I know he's going to hurt me now, I just know it.

"Good girl." He pats my head again, still stroking my hair, then his voice changes. "You're trembling, Koro. You really don't trust your master, do you?" I'm about to reply, when a soft voice from the doorway makes him look up. "Ota?" Starting to lose control of my emotions, I sniffle loudly, another soft whimper escaping me. I just want to sleep, and maybe when I wake up, I'll be in my hotel room and then, this bad dream will be a distant memory. Hearing a voice, I glance towards the doorway.

"Tasha, come in." Mr Kisaki responds warmly, and she enters the room with caution. "I'm surprised Eisuke has let you out of his sight." She shrugs, "He's with his groupies. I came to tell you that Baba and I are leaving." His hand stills as she speaks, and he's motionless. 'Tasha… the name rings a bell… Ah, I remember, the girl that Mr Baba mentioned. So this is Tasha, she's very pretty.' I look up at her from under my hood, and I can tell that Mr Kisaki likes her. So her and Mr Baba are leaving, they'll be back soon, there's no need for him to get so worked up about it. Unless… they won't be coming back at all. Tasha looks down at me, and hurt shows on her face for a second, before her gentle smile returns. "But I see I'm no longer needed here anyway." Mr Kisaki shakes his head, almost as though dismissing the idea, "Not at all, she's just another Koro. When are you coming back?" She closes her eyes, breathing softly, and then her soft brown eyes lock on Mr Kisaki's. "A month or so. Baba wants to wait for the drama to die down." A light crimson blush shows in her cheeks, "You know…" She starts, before falling silent. I begin to tune out the conversation after that, musing to myself. 'Tasha seems like a very nice girl, and she seems to like Mr Baba.' I imagine the pair together and almost immediately come to the conclusion that they would make a pretty cute couple.

"Go with you?" Mr Kisaki's voice brings me back to reality, as he continues, "But I…" Tasha smiles, "Your pet will come too, of course. Baba made arrangements for all of us to leave together." Then in a quieter voice, she adds, "You may not live long if you stay here." I catch that part, panic rising. 'Not live long? Jeez, what did he do? And where are we going?' His tone softens as he considers it, "Italy, hm? Koro, go and play with Tasha and Baba for a while, I need to think. But… Promise me you won't wag your tail for anyone else."

'Wag my tail for anyone else?' I cock my head to the side in thought. 'What in the world does that mean?' Nevertheless, I nod, as I don't want to bother him, and he smiles. "Good girl. Now go on." Feeling quite hopeless, I get up, yet I walk past Tasha, while she seems nice, I really just want to be alone. I sit down in the furthest corner of the room, facing the wall.

As I sink further into despair.

****To be continued...****


End file.
